Gwinnett County Police said Wednesday they are continuing to search for a suspect after his alleged involvement in a series of rental property scams in the region.
The agency said Gregory Coley, 31, of Lawrenceville, is wanted on three counts of theft by deception. His whereabouts are currently unknown.
His charges are related to three scam incidents that occurred in April.
The first victim reported on April 4 that they had sent $2,000 in rent money to Coley for a home in Auburn. A few days later on April 11, the second victim sent $2,199 to the same suspect expecting to rent a home in Duluth. Finally, a third victim sent $3,900 on April 13 to the same suspect trying to rent a home in Duluth.
Detectives are working to identify any other victims who may have been deceived by Coley.
"Rental scams have been on the rise and the fraudulent rental listings can be in numerous formats," the agency said in a press release. "Most of the time the suspect(s) never meet the victim(s) in person and all communication is electronic."
The agency offered the following tips to avoid these types of scams:
- Keep a record of all transactions.
- Find rental properties through established agents and management companies.
- Look for additional listings of the same property.
- Avoid paying in cash, peer-to-peer sites such as Zelle, Cashapp, and Venmo and avoid gift cards.
- Check the property tax records through the county tax office for the most current owner of the home.
- Ask for proof of ownership.
- Be cautious when listing agents provide excuses to avoid meeting in person.
Additionally, those who believe they are a victim of a rental scam should do the following:
- Contact the Federal Trade Commission Consumer and file a complaint.
- File a complaint with www.IC3.gov
- File a report with the police department.
- Contact a local real estate attorney for additional assistance.
Anyone with information on the case should contact Gwinnett County Police Detectives at (770) 513-5300. To remain anonymous, tipsters should contact Crime Stoppers at (404) 577-8477 or visit www.stopcrimeATL.com. Crime Stoppers tipsters can receive a cash reward for information leading to an arrest and indictment in the case.
